Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

A local barber says he wants to "set the record straight" about his experience while working as an instructor teaching Richwood High School students about obtaining a career as a professional barber/hair stylist. The individual said that he has been in the hair business for almost forty years and has not only learned his trade well but has made a reputation of being among the best in the business. He said he was under a contract to work at Richwood High School in Monroe, LA starting when the previous instructor contracted COVID mid-way through the school term. He shared he was there for two and a half years before he was allegedly unceremoniously let go by the school's principal. The barber said that he went to instruct at Richwood with good intentions because he knows of the potential that many Blacks have within them to become great hair stylists. While teaching at Richwood High School Career Center, which also had a class for those who wanted to become professional welders, the barber said he encountered many obstacles beyond his control. He was contracted to conduct the class from 8:00 AM to 12:00 NOON for junior and senior students because first- and second-year students weren't old enough to attend. According to the barber, there wasn't any equipment available for him to teach the classes, especially if it involved hands-on training. In addition, the barber was told that he had to have a lesson plan weekly, but the barber said that it was difficult to conceive a lesson plan if there wasn't any equipment to supplement his classes.

The barber said he worked with what he had, which was next to nothing, and eventually brought his own personal equipment to instruct classes. He said there wasn't any equipment such as clippers, scissors, hair rollers, hair chemicals, and no towels, the kind of things that any barber or hairstylist would need. He said the projector was down, so students couldn't watch any hairstyling videos, as was a computer used in the classes. He said that after he told school officials about his needs, he was told to submit a purchase order, which he alleges was never filled. He said that in the meantime, he was told to instruct as if there was a room full of equipment to teach with, but the students were not learning as they should without the necessary equipment. The barber said that he was written up twice, citing "insubordination" as the reason because he was alleged not to have submitted lesson plans as told. He said that at some point, the class was allegedly on the verge of being shut down because of declining student numbers. He said that he was able to get sponsors to help keep the program going, but after some time had passed, the barber felt that he had done all he could with what he had. Shortly after, he was contacted by the school's principal, informing him that under his supervision, the school was failing and that it was going in a new direction".

He believes he was being blamed for something he had no control over - no equipment, computer, or working projector. The barber is no longer at Richwood High School, but he said that he wants the public to know what went on while he was there and that he is not the only one who knows how some things are being done at Richwood. He said that he had worked hard for many years in his profession and lost many customers during those hours at Richwood. All in all, he doesn't want his reputation or his integrity as a professional to be tarnished because things may not have worked out as others may have wanted them. He said he did what he could with what he had, which was nothing.